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enBlu-ray Review: Gorgeous Gift Set For ‘Band of Brothers,’ ‘The Pacific’http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/16377/blu-ray-review-gorgeous-gift-set-for-band-of-brothers-the-pacific
<!--paging_filter--><p><span class="caps">CHICAGO</span> – One of the most beloved holiday gifts this season will be the wonderfully-packaged gift set for <span class="caps">HBO</span>&#8217;s &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221; and &#8220;The Pacific,&#8221; now presented in one lovely case with new special features and stunning <span class="caps">HD</span> transfers. The two Steven Spielberg-produced mini-series are not only two of the best programs in the history of television but two of the most impressive Blu-ray sets as well. &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221; is the #1 best-selling <span class="caps">TV</span>-on-<span class="caps">DVD</span>/Blu-ray of all time and &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; was the #1 best-selling release of 2010. Now they&#8217;re available together in time for both Veteran&#8217;s Day and the upcoming holiday season.</p>
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<p>The 13-disc set consists almost entirely of material that&#8217;s already owned by fans of the two series. In other words, this has to be considered either solely for the hardcore fans who are willing to replace the Blu-rays already on their shelves or for the folks who never picked them up in the first place. If somehow you&#8217;ve been waiting, this is the definitive edition of two of the most important pieces of <span class="caps">TV</span> you could possibly add to your collection. And if you already own the award-winning <span class="caps">HBO</span> Blu-ray sets, you&#8217;ll have to be content with new packaging and a new documentary, &#8220;He Has Seen the War.&#8221;</p>
<p><center><img src="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/pacificbob_sd_giftset38c262.jpg" width="640" height="414" alt="Band of Brothers The Pacific Special Edition Gift Set was released on Blu-ray and DVD by HBO on November 8th, 2011." title="Band of Brothers The Pacific Special Edition Gift Set was released on Blu-ray and DVD by HBO on November 8th, 2011." /><br /><span style="font-size:80%;">Band of Brothers The Pacific Special Edition Gift Set was released on Blu-ray and <span class="caps">DVD</span> by <span class="caps">HBO</span> on November 8th, 2011.<br /><i>Photo credit: <span class="caps"><span class="caps">HBO</span> Films</span></i></span></center><br /></p>
<p>All ten episodes of both mini-series (so twenty in total) are presented over ten discs &#8212; two episodes per disc. The serious lack of compression creates one of the most stunning Blu-ray transfers in the history of the form. Could they have fit more than two episodes per <span class="caps">BD</span>? Of course, but they may not have looked this amazing. These have long been the kind of <span class="caps">TV</span>-on-Blu-ray transfers that serve as the model for what <span class="caps">HD</span> programming should look like in a release like this. And the audio is equally remarkable.</p>
<p>All of the special features from the previous releases have been transferred as well, which is a nice inclusion. For a few years, there was a disturbing pattern at some studios in which gift sets didn&#8217;t always include all of the previously-available material. &#8220;We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company&#8221; is one of the best <span class="caps">WWII</span> documentaries ever produced. It&#8217;s something you should watch with your family this Veteran&#8217;s Day. Other special features on &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221; include &#8220;Ron Livingston&#8217;s Video Diaries,&#8221; &#8220;The Making of Band of Brothers,&#8221; and &#8220;The Premiere in Normandy.&#8221; Special features to accompany &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; include &#8220;Profiles of The Pacific,&#8221; &#8220;Making The Pacific,&#8221; and &#8220;Anatomy of the Pacific War.&#8221; </p>
<p>The new, 13th disc includes the film &#8220;He Has Seen the War,&#8221; a piece about the surviving members of the Easy Company and the 1st Marine Division, along with new behind-the-scenes details about the making of both films. Like &#8220;Alone Together,&#8221; and like the thrust of both series, the film is about the people &#8212; those who came home and those who never did. It&#8217;s a perfect addition to what were already perfect Blu-ray releases. If you&#8217;ve been waiting to pick up these multiple award-winners, there are no more excuses.</p>
<p><i><center>&#8220;Band of Brothers/The Pacific Special Edition Gift Set&#8221; was released by <span class="caps">HBO</span> on November 8th,&nbsp;2011.</center></i></p>
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<p><TABLE border=0><TR><TD><A HREF="mailto:brian@hollywoodchicago.com"><IMG SRC="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/briantallerico2.jpg" ALT="HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico" border=0 /></a></td><TD width=*><P><FONT style='font-size:11px'>By <A HREF="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/about#BRIAN" TARGET="BLANK"><span class="caps">BRIAN</span> <span class="caps">TALLERICO</span></a><BR />Content Director<BR />HollywoodChicago.com<BR /><A HREF="mailto:brian@hollywoodchicago.com">brian@hollywoodchicago.com</a></font></p></td></tr></table></p>
http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/16377/blu-ray-review-gorgeous-gift-set-for-band-of-brothers-the-pacific#commentsBand of BrothersBlu-ray ReviewBrian TallericoHBOHollywoodChicago.com ContentSteven SpielbergThe PacificTom HanksTheater, TV, DVD & Blu-RayTue, 08 Nov 2011 19:24:59 +0000BrianTT16377 at http://www.hollywoodchicago.comBlu-Ray Review: HBO’s ‘The Pacific’ Stands as One of TV’s Best Mini-Serieshttp://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/12408/blu-ray-review-hbo-s-the-pacific-stands-as-one-of-tv-s-best-mini-series
<!--paging_filter--><p><span class="caps">CHICAGO</span> – <span class="caps">HBO</span>&#8217;s &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221; has been an annual bestseller around the holiday season, first on <span class="caps">DVD</span> and now on Blu-ray, and it seems virtually impossible that their equally-notable &#8220;The Pacific,&#8221; now on Blu-ray and <span class="caps">DVD</span>, would not follow it up the charts and turn out to be one of the most-given <span class="caps">HD</span> gifts of the upcoming season.</p>
<!--break--><!--break--><p> With perfect <span class="caps">HD</span> picture and sound, fascinating special features, and one of the best mini-series in the history of television, this is a highlight of a very-impressive season for Blu-ray.</p>
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<p>&#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is simply spectacular. The winner of an amazing eight Emmys, including Outstanding Mini-Series, &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is really in a class of its own. It is much more than a mere shadow or duplication of &#8220;Band of Brothers.&#8221; It stands on its own, not merely because the Pacific arena of World War <span class="caps">II</span> combat was significantly different than the European fight, but because the quality of the former series shouldn&#8217;t take away from this one. It&#8217;s just as good. There are hundreds of stories of the American soldier experience in World War <span class="caps">II</span> and even just the setting for the episodes of “The Pacific” makes them feel immediately distinct from “Band of Brothers”.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/thepacific2.jpg" width="640" height="388" alt="The Pacific was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 2nd, 2010" title="The Pacific was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 2nd, 2010" /><br /><span style="font-size:80%;">The Pacific was released on Blu-ray and <span class="caps">DVD</span> on November 2nd, 2010<br /><i>Photo credit: <span class="caps"><span class="caps">HBO</span> Home Video</span></i></span></center><br /></p>
<p>Where &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221; focused on the unity formed within combat, &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is more about the specific human toll taken by a deadly destination. The producers, writers, and directors of &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; don&#8217;t just transport viewers back with perfect production values but try and relate the psychological damage that was often far worse than the physical pain. With added resonance due to the fact that so many American soldiers have died in combat in the decade since &#8220;Band of Brothers,&#8221; &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; cuts straight through to the emotional bone. The rules of war may change but the human cost never will.</p>
<p>Like &#8220;Band of Brothers,&#8221; &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is a densely-conceived and written program with dozens of speaking roles and no clear lead. Like a real group of soldiers, men come to the front and then fade back as others play a significant role. Stars include James Badge Dale (recently seen on &#8220;Rubicon&#8221;), Jon Seda, William Sadler, Ashton Holmes, Joe Mazello, and Jon Bernthal (recently seen on &#8220;The Walking Dead&#8221;). But &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is not about individual performances. It&#8217;s about an entire generation of men who were forever changed by what they saw during World War <span class="caps">II</span>.</p>
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<td><center><img src="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/pacific1.JPG" alt="The Pacific was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 2nd, 2010" title="The Pacific was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 2nd, 2010" /><br /><span style="font-size:80%;">The Pacific was released on Blu-ray and <span class="caps">DVD</span> on November 2nd, 2010<br /><i>Photo credit: <span class="caps"><span class="caps">HBO</span> Home Video</span></i></span></center><br />
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<p>Technically, &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is simply jaw-dropping. It looks better than most feature films and is as expertly-directed and executed as nearly anything you&#8217;ve seen in a multiplex in the last few years. If the premiere episode of &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; were released in theaters, it would garner multiple Oscar nominations, including cinematography, editing, sound design, visual effects, and more. It is quite simply one of the most impressive events in the history of television.</p>
<p>Given that fact and the inherent audience that have made &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221; a smash hit on the home market, <span class="caps">HBO</span> Home Video could have released a bare-bones set with just the episodes themselves but they&#8217;re gone above and beyond to create a Blu-ray set just as notable as the show itself. </p>
<p>Every episode features &#8220;Enhanced Viewing,&#8221; a feature that presents picture-in-picture interviews, photos, and technical details about the people on-screen. It adds to the depth of the entire project to see the real people side-by-side, even if it&#8217;s often just in photographs. A similar feature (&#8220;Field Guide&#8221;) offers exclusive content with animated maps, interviews with historians and veterans, historical footage, photographs, and more. An entire final disc is devoted to special features, although here is the only area in which the set arguably disappoints as &#8220;Profiles of The Pacific,&#8221; &#8220;Making The Pacific,&#8221; and &#8220;Anatomy of the Pacific War&#8221; all feel a little slight, especially when compared to the wealth of information you&#8217;ll have just learned picture-in-picture on all ten parts of the mini-series.</p>
<p>With only two episodes per disc, the compression on &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is so minimal that the <span class="caps">HD</span> transfer looks even more ridiculously good than you&#8217;d expect. And the sound mix is shattering. Turn it up loud and let it rattle your bones. A mini-series like this one is supposed to shake you.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Pacific&#8221; may be just the story of a few people but it is relatable to many. It is a historical document that also feels remarkably timely. Don&#8217;t miss it. Don&#8217;t fail to own it. Not only is <span class="caps">TV</span> this rare something that should be treasured but you will have a tough time finding a better Blu-ray <span class="caps">TV</span> box set this season. &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; stands alone.</p>
<p><i><center>‘The Pacific’ was released on Blu-ray and <span class="caps">DVD</span> on November 2nd, 2010. It stars James Badge Dale, Jon Seda, Joe Mazzello, William Sadler, Caroline Dhavernas, Jon Bernthal, Joshua Bitton, Tom Budge, Linda Cropper, Josh Helman, and Toby Leonard Moore. The series was executive produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman. It was released by <span class="caps">HBO</span> Home&nbsp;Video.</center></i></p>
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<p><TABLE border=0><TR><TD><A HREF="mailto:brian@hollywoodchicago.com"><IMG SRC="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/briantallerico2.jpg" ALT="HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico" border=0 /></a></td><TD width=*><P><FONT style='font-size:11px'>By <A HREF="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/about#BRIAN" TARGET="BLANK"><span class="caps">BRIAN</span> <span class="caps">TALLERICO</span></a><BR />Content Director<BR />HollywoodChicago.com<BR /><A HREF="mailto:brian@hollywoodchicago.com">brian@hollywoodchicago.com</a></font></p></td></tr></table></p>
http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/12408/blu-ray-review-hbo-s-the-pacific-stands-as-one-of-tv-s-best-mini-series#commentsBand of BrothersBlu-ray ReviewBrian TallericoCaroline DhavernasHBOHollywoodChicago.com ContentJames Badge DaleJoe MazzelloJon BernthalJon SedaSteven SpielbergThe PacificTom HanksWilliam SadlerTheater, TV, DVD & Blu-RayThu, 04 Nov 2010 18:28:55 +0000BrianTT12408 at http://www.hollywoodchicago.comTV Review: Everyone Should Watch Masterful ‘The Pacific’http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/10164/tv-review-everyone-should-watch-masterful-the-pacific
<!--paging_filter--><p><span class="caps">CHICAGO</span> – I must admit to some trepidation about <span class="caps">HBO</span>&#8217;s <span class="caps">WWII</span> mini-series &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; from producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, debuting tonight, March 14th, 2010 at 8pm <span class="caps">CST</span>. Why? Because &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221; is the best mini-series of all time and it&#8217;s difficult for anyone to pitch a perfect game two starts in a row. I knew it would be good, but doubted it would be great. I was wrong. It&#8217;s spectacular.</p>
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<p>Far more than merely a shadow or duplication of &#8220;Band of Brothers,&#8221; &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; stands on its own for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the war in the Pacific arena of battle was much different than the European fight. There&#8217;s nothing in Europe that compares to the jungle of Guadalcanal, the main setting for the first hour of the ten-hour piece. There are hundreds of stories of the American soldier experience in World War <span class="caps">II</span> and even just the setting for the episodes of &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; makes them feel immediately distinct from &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221;.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/pacific02.jpg" width="640" height="388" alt="The Pacific" title="The Pacific" /><br /><span style="font-size:80%;">The Pacific<br /><i>Photo credit: <span class="caps">David James/<span class="caps">HBO</span></span></i></span></center><br /></p>
<p>It also appears that &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is going to be more about the specific human toll of war than the first mini-series. It&#8217;s all there in the titles. The first mini-series was about how boys band together as they become brothers. The second is about how a deadly destination forever changed the young men sent there. It&#8217;s clear that &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; will be more about the psychological damage of something most of us cannot possibly imagine going through and coming out sane than the unity of men traveling through Hell. It&#8217;s more about what&#8217;s on the other side than what&#8217;s on the actual journey.</p>
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<td><center><img src="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/pacific25.jpg" alt="The Pacific" title="The Pacific" /><br /><span style="font-size:80%;">The Pacific<br /><i>Photo credit: <span class="caps">David James/<span class="caps">HBO</span></span></i></span></center></td>
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<p>And it would be remiss not to note that this mini-series comes after a decade spent largely at war and spawned by a tragic event compared to Pearl Harbor. When &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221; launched in 2001, I don&#8217;t think anyone expected that we would again send young men to die on the other side of the world for practically the next ten years. &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; has an added resonance when one considers that there are Marines going through something not that dissimilar to the harrowing action on-screen right this very minute.</p>
<p>The first episode of &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; focuses on four of the major characters of the entire piece during two crucial periods of the beginning of our involvement in World War <span class="caps">II</span>. It opens in the weeks after Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 as troops were being formed to send overseas. We meet <span class="caps">PFC</span> Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale) as he says goodbye to his distant father and meets a girl at church who he promises to write, Marine Sgt. John Basilone (Jon Seda) as he listens to his superior (William Sadler) detail the importance of what these young men are about to do, and Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and his friend <span class="caps">PFC</span> Sidney Phillips (Ashton Holmes). The former is torn apart by the fact that his heart murmur will keep him from serving alongside his shipping-out buddy.</p>
<p>The bulk of the premiere takes place at Guadalcanal in August of 1942. The 1st Marine Division, including Leckie and Phillips, lands on the hellish island in an attempt to secure the crucial land mass and stem the Japanese progression towards Australia. Like so many stories of war, long stretches of &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; are spent with soldiers marching through the jungle from one strategic location to another. </p>
<p>We get to know some of them, but the piece never focuses too strongly on any young man, not valuing one over another. If there&#8217;s a lead, it&#8217;s Dale as the intellectual Leckie. He&#8217;s instantly good at selling the everyman quality in his eyes that makes something like this all the more resonant. The centerpiece of the premiere is a firefight on a river that is one of the most harrowing and disturbing war scenes ever filmed. Just the look in Dale&#8217;s eyes makes clear that this man is different the morning after than he was the night before. </p>
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<td><center><img src="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/pacific36.jpg" alt="The Pacific" title="The Pacific" /><br /><span style="font-size:80%;">The Pacific<br /><i>Photo credit: <span class="caps">Andrew Cooper/<span class="caps">HBO</span></span></i></span></center></td>
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<p>Technically, &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is simply unbelievable. Directed by Tim Van Patten (a veteran of &#8220;The Wire,&#8221; &#8220;Deadwood,&#8221; and 20 episodes of &#8220;The Sopranos&#8221;) and written by Bruce McKenna (three episodes of &#8220;Band of Brothers&#8221;), the first episode is paced perfectly and as expertly executed as any major feature film. The cinematography, score, editing, etc. would all be considered Oscar caliber if this was an awards season film. </p>
<p>Considering their notable and incredibly influential history, it&#8217;s amazing to note that this could be the best year <span class="caps">HBO</span> has ever delivered to paying subscribers. They have more than weathered the departure of their first wave of mega-hits like &#8220;The Sopranos&#8221; and &#8220;Six Feet Under&#8221; to find new ones in shows like &#8220;Big Love&#8221; and &#8220;True Blood&#8221;. 2010 brings a new show from the creator of &#8220;The Wire&#8221; called &#8220;Treme,&#8221; a new series from Martin Scorsese called &#8220;Boardwalk Empire,&#8221; a few returning favorites like &#8220;Entourage&#8221; and &#8220;Eastbound and Down,&#8221; and, of course, &#8220;The Pacific&#8221;. Showtime and <span class="caps">FX</span> have improved into two of the best networks on television but no one can touch <span class="caps">HBO</span>.</p>
<p>The quote that leads the production notes for &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; says more about war and what the mini-series will clearly be about than this critic possibly could, from the real Eugene Sledge - &#8220;<i>It is not history, and it is not my story alone. I have attempted, rather, to be the spokesman for my comrades, who were swept with me into the abyss of war.</i>&#8221; &#8220;The Pacific&#8221; is the story of a few and the story of many. It is both historical document and something that feels remarkably current. And, most of all, it is amazing, riveting television of a caliber that does not come along too often. You don&#8217;t want to miss a minute.</p>
<p><CENTER><I>&#8216;The Pacific&#8217; premieres on <span class="caps">HBO</span> on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 8pm <span class="caps">CST</span>. It stars James Badge Dale, Jon Seda, Joe Mazzello, William Sadler, Caroline Dhavernas, Jon Bernthal, Joshua Bitton, Tom Budge, Linda Cropper, Josh Helman, and Toby Leonard Moore. The first episode was directed by Tim Van Patten and written by Bruce C. McKenna. The series was executive produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman.</i></center></p>
<p><TABLE border=0><TR><TD><A HREF="mailto:brian@hollywoodchicago.com"><IMG SRC="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/briantallerico2.jpg" ALT="HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico" border=0 /></a></td><TD width=*><P><FONT style='font-size:11px'>By <A HREF="http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/about#BRIAN" TARGET="BLANK"><span class="caps">BRIAN</span> <span class="caps">TALLERICO</span></a><BR />Content Director<BR />HollywoodChicago.com<BR /><A HREF="mailto:brian@hollywoodchicago.com">brian@hollywoodchicago.com</a></font></p></td></tr></table></p>
http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/10164/tv-review-everyone-should-watch-masterful-the-pacific#commentsBand of BrothersBrian TallericoCaroline DhavernasHBOHollywoodChicago.com ContentJames Badge DaleJoe MazzelloJon BernthalJon SedaJoshua BittonLinda CropperSteven SpielbergTelevisionThe PacificTom BudgeTom HanksWilliam SadlerSun, 14 Mar 2010 15:16:37 +0000BrianTT10164 at http://www.hollywoodchicago.com